The Papua New Guinea government is understood to be pushing for a three-month extension of the country's state of emergency as it intensifies efforts to prevent the entry and spread of COVID-19.
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Plans to keep the country of around eight million people under a state of emergency until the end of June have come despite increasing confidence among PNG health officials that they have so far been successful in preventing the deadly virus establishing itself in the community.
As of late Wednesday, it had been 10 days since PNG's first and only confirmed case of COVID-19 infection, an Australian worker who has subsequently returned home. Tests of people who had come into close contact with the infected person have so far been negative, as has screening of international arrivals who have entered the country since early March.
Meanwhile, testing and preparations for the virus are ramping up.
An indoor sports arena in PNG's capital Port Moresby is being converted into a health facility to enable COVID-19 patients to be kept in isolation and medical teams equipped with personal protective equipment are being prepared to conduct tests in designated hot spots in Port Moresby, Lae and four towns along the country's border with Indonesia.
Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary commissioner and state of emergency controller David Manning said that "all indications are" that the virus was so far contained in PNG.
"But we cannot afford to be complacent," Commissioner Manning warned.
The government's plan for a three-month extension to the country's state of emergency is expected to put to a parliamentary vote on Thursday.
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It is likely to include a continuation of existing measures including tight restrictions on international and domestic flights and the closure of street markets and many government departments, courts and small businesses. Hospitals, banks and supermarkets are continuing to operate.
Health and development experts have warned a COVID-19 outbreak in PNG could quickly overwhelm hospitals and health services, putting the lives of many at risk.
Australia has reprioritised more than $22 million of development assistance to PNG to support the country's response to the global pandemic.
- For information on COVID-19, please go to the ACT Health website or the federal Health Department's website.
- You can also call the Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080
- If you have serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, call Triple Zero (000)
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Adrian Rollins
Adrian Rollins is economics correspondent for the Canberra Times
Adrian Rollins is economics correspondent for the Canberra Times
